Chris Jericho has explained how he and Samoa Joe handled a Tony Khan idea they initially did not like while working on an AEW match. Speaking to “TMZ’s Inside The Ring,” Jericho revealed that the two veterans chose to rework Khan’s idea instead of simply telling their boss they did not want to do it.
Jericho explained that Khan presented something neither he nor Joe felt strongly about, but they could tell the AEW president wanted the idea included. Rather than abandoning their own vision or refusing Khan outright, the two wrestlers waited until he left the room and then started figuring out how they could make it work.
“The moment he left the room, Joe and I looked at each other like, ‘All right, how are we going to make it work?’ We had a conversation. We had to reshuffle the deck and move this there, move this there, get rid of this and add this,” Jericho said.
That detail is important because Jericho was not describing himself and Joe suddenly becoming fans of Khan’s original idea. They changed the structure of the match around it, finding a way to keep the part Khan wanted while still making the overall bout something they could deliver comfortably.
The approach worked. When they went back to Khan with their revised version, Jericho said the AEW president was happy with what they had done and thanked them for putting the work into it.
Jericho then explained why he believes that is part of being a professional wrestler working under a boss.
“He’s happy, and we’re going to make it great. It’s completely different from what we originally wanted to do, but he’s the f*cking boss. He’s the one who tells us what he wants. And if you don’t like it, you go make $8 billion and start your own wrestling company.
“And that’s what a pro does. That’s what you do. And it’s not always the way you want it. But I’m not the boss.”
Jericho’s point was less about blindly accepting every creative decision and more about finding another route when the original plan does not work for everyone. He has previously described offering an alternative instead of simply saying no as part of working successfully with the person in charge, and he specifically praised Khan as someone who collaborates with his wrestlers.
Chris Jericho Is Currently Feuding With Nick Wayne
Jericho’s comments about adapting to creative ideas come while he is involved in a storyline with Nick Wayne in AEW. The feud began after Wayne took issue with Jericho’s comments about his experience and their respective careers, eventually leading to their first singles match on the September 16 episode of Dynamite.
Jericho won that match, but the rivalry did not end there. After Jericho attempted to extend a handshake, Wayne refused and attacked him, leaving Jericho down in the ring. The two later faced each other again in a confrontation, where Wayne challenged Jericho to another match at Grand Slam: France. Jericho accepted, setting up their rematch in Paris on October 6.
The storyline has also allowed Jericho to frame the rivalry around the difference between experience and youth. He has acknowledged Wayne’s potential while arguing that the younger wrestler still has things to learn, while Wayne has pushed back against the idea that Jericho’s experience automatically gives him an advantage.
With the rematch now set, Jericho will have another chance to prove his point against Wayne. For now, though, his comments about working with Khan offer a look at how one of AEW’s most experienced wrestlers approaches creative disagreements behind the scenes.
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